Vitrine by Jacques Grüber

This carved Wisteria vitrine cabinet by Jacques Grüber is a breathtaking exemplar of French Art Nouveau craftsmanship, a poetic fusion of artistry and nature. Conceived as a wunderkammer—a cabinet of curiosities—it was designed to cradle both artificialia (objects of human ingenuity) and naturalia: seashells, fossils, botanical specimens, gleaming minerals, taxidermy, and rare gemstones. The vitrine features an enclosed, two-shelf display space framed by a locking beveled glass door, while a top-hinged glass drawer below invites the presentation of cherished natural wonders. In the upper section, six symmetrical circular shelves bloom outward like petals, perfectly suited for delicate vases or miniature objets d’art. The lower section offers a small bracket for a single vessel, with the base gracefully accommodating a larger decorative piece. Ethereal panels of dark purple acid-etched glass cascade with wisteria, their sinuous tendrils echoing the organic lines of the cabinet itself. Echoes of the Far East—particularly the Japanese aesthetic that fueled the rise of Japonisme in Europe—whisper through its design, weaving a final thread of exotic reverie into this opulent ode to wonder.